There’s no getting away from the fact that for people to make use of wood, trees are cut down. However, wood has been used as an entirely natural construction material for over 10,000 years and as techniques and skills advanced, so has the use of wood for items such as fuel, tools, flooring, furniture and construction.
Really, its uses are endless.
It’s insulating, flexible, and relatively low weight and when properly maintained it can last for a long time. In addition, there’s little waste when left over wood chippings are used for chipboard, sawdust, or even an energy source in compressed heat logs. And what’s finally left over is 100% biodegradable waste.
As a naturally renewable energy source, wood has less of an environmental impact than other materials making it a more climate-friendly material than those derived from fossil fuels. Instead of creating more carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere, living trees absorb carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen.
Fundamentally, in comparison with other materials such as concrete, steel, and plastic – the production of which uses a great deal of energy and produces carbon dioxide – timber production and processing is highly energy efficient and creates a lower carbon footprint.
And once they exist, items constructed from wood can be used repeatedly, for example furniture or books.
However, obviously, once a tree has been cut down it can’t be put back up again. So, to continue a forest’s lifecycle, as trees are cut down they must continue to be planted, making it vital that the forests they come from are well managed.
When forests are looked after properly, they can provide an unlimited, naturally renewable source of wood. In fact, European forests are growing by 661,000 hectares (over 2500 square miles) per year according to the British Woodworking Federation.
Here in England, forests are certified independently as having met both international and national standards of sustainable forestry. Properly and responsibly managed forests can continue to provide vital, diverse habitats for numerous species of wildlife, as well as a fossil fuel free sustainable material.
